KITTITAS COUNTY, Wash.- It’s been over a week since 88-year-old Charlie Martin left his family’s home in Redmond. Reported missing in Wenatchee, his car was found two days after the Silver Alert was issued, in the hills of the Colockum Pass.
With that information, Kittitas County Sheriff’s Office began the search.
“From the very beginning, like any missing persons case, deputies have taken a very complete view of this and assessed every possibility,” says KCSO Inspector Chris Whitsett. “Quickly determined that we believe it’s overwhelmingly likely he had driven up there, got himself stuck then left his car.”
“We know from his family that he was an experienced outdoorsman,” says Whitsett. “He spent a lot of time in his life in the mountains and hills and did a lot of hiking. At this point, his mobility is not great. Mr. Martin is 88 years old, he only is weighing in at maybe 120 pounds.”
The search area spans most of the 22-mile road through the Colockum Pass, more than KCSO says is necessary.
In the week of searching, heat-seeking drones, dogs and Search and Rescue volunteers have yet to find Martin. Last seen in a white polo shirt, deputies are worried for his safety as the weather cools down. Adding more concern is Martin’s dementia diagnosis.
“The condition of his mind, as we understand it from his family, has been one of the most painful aspects of this whole story,” says Whitsett.
With hunting season nearing, KCSO will be pulling resources away from Colockum Pass, and relying on the hunting community.
“If anybody has a camera that might potentially have caught any evidence of Charlie’s movement up there, we need to know about it,” says Whitsett.
The area is known as a popular hunting spot for people in and beyond Kittitas County. KCSO will be relying on the visitors to keep an eye out for Martin.
Whitsett says the operation is still a search mission, hoping to reunite the 88-year-old with his family. Though he did note, the outlook is bleak if Martin is not found before snowfall.
Despite the adversity, KCSO says the Martin family has been optimistic. Whitsett hasn’t talked to the family himself, but KCSO’s connection to the family has talked to them every day.
“The family’s been with us from the beginning,” says Whitsett. “They’ve been sympathetic and understanding of the limitations. They know exactly what we’re doing and why we’re doing the things that we’re doing. They’ve been very supportive, and we appreciate them in this, the hardest of circumstances for them.”
KCSO because of the steep and rough terrain, there will be no community search parties for Martin. Whitsett advises anyone with a trail or game camera in the area to check for signs of the 88-year-old.
If you have information about Martin, you’re asked to call 911 or reach SAR Deputy Ellis Nale through KITTCOM at 509-925-8534.
